Press Releases

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will be presenting the latest research results in additive manufacturing technology at the Fraunhofer joint stand at formnext in Frankfurt am Main from November 7 to 10, 2023. Among other things, the Aachen engineers will be showing additively manufactured sensors that are printed directly onto components and that can provide real-time data for predictive maintenance. A new process makes it possible to seamlessly insert sensors into a component during the additive manufacturing process Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF).

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT are working with ADMOS Gleitlager GmbH to develop a promising alternative to solid rolling bearings for wind turbines. They aim to use extreme high-speed laser material deposition EHLA to produce low-cost and low-maintenance sliding bearings. This resource-saving and economical process can reduce weight and costs by up to 20 to 30 percent. The research project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and offers a promising solution to help expand wind power quickly.

In the European research project ReSoURCE, experts from nine different companies and institutes are working together to develop sustainable solutions for the recycling of refractory materials. The German project partners are primarily providing laser know-how.

Automation and zero-defect production are important trends in machine construction. Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a major role in advancing both of them. Today, it can already detect deviations in process monitoring data and implement quality control in real time. In the future, AI will regulate many more processes and simplify process planning through assistance functions. At the third "AI for Laser Technology Conference" on November 23 and 24, 2023, these and other trends in the application of AI in materials processing will be discussed.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT invites the laser community to the 14th International Laser Technology Congress AKL in Aachen from April 17 to 19, 2024. At AKL'24, users, manufacturers and developers from various areas of the laser industry will have the opportunity to exchange information on the latest developments in the field of applied laser technology in production. With over 500 participants, more than 80 presentations and 50 laser manufacturers and system or component suppliers at the conference accompanying exhibition, AKL has established itself as the leading forum for applied laser technology in production in Europe.

From energy research to metalworking: Everywhere, the laser offers opportunities to do more for a sustainable future. Today, lasers are already being used to weld battery cells for electromobility particularly efficiently. The laser can be used to measure pollutants in the atmosphere, and it is being used to build the quantum internet. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT presented these and other innovations at this year’s LASER World of PHOTONICS and World of QUANTUM in Munich.

For many, hydrogen is not only number 1 in the periodic table, but also as the green energy source of the future. To attain this top position, however, energy-efficient and powerful technology is needed to produce and use green hydrogen. Lasers are playing an important role in this, as current activities of the Fraunhofer ILT prove.

A great atmosphere in full halls, lively discussions and a very international audience: The global photonics industry met at LASER World of PHOTONICS from June 27 to 30, 2023. More than 1,300 exhibitors, of which 66 percent came from outside of Germany, presented their innovations to the roughly 40,000 visitors at the world’s leading trade fair of the industry. The share of these visitors from outside of Germany was nearly 55 percent. World of QUANTUM once again met with a very positive response. The international scientific elite, including Nobel Prize winner Prof. Donna Strickland, came together for six days at the World of Photonics Congress, which took place in parallel.

Ultra-short pulsed (USP) lasers are versatile tools in laser materials processing, but work even more efficiently when the laser pulses are optimally manipulated in space and time. How important this is for the new high-power sources with 300 W and more could be experienced at the “7th UKP Workshop Ultrafast Laser Technology” in Aachen. Visitors could also see how USP lasers make the electrodes of batteries for electric cars or hydrogen systems significantly more efficient.

Galvanometer scanners have been in use in laser material processing for decades. However, a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has now developed a new, particularly compact scanner module for applications in 3D printing, micromachining or medical technology. The researchers have already successfully tested it for various applications. The scanner will be on display at LASER World of Photonics 2023 in Munich.